Monarda plant named &#39;Rockin&#39; Raspberry&#39;

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of ornamental cultivar of bee balm plant named  Monarda  ‘Rockin Raspberry’ has compact, tight clumping habit, with heavily branching stems with upper secondary peduncles extending above the initial flower level and partially obscuring first set of flowers. The dark green leaves are lemony fragrant, have strong resistance to powdery mildew and are heavily tinted with greyed purple while young. Numerous, large, deep raspberry purple-colored flowers are in bloom for a long period beginning cerise-colored flowers creating excellent flower coverage.

Botanical classification: Monarda hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Rockin' Raspberry’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar of bee balm plant, botanically known as Monarda ‘Rockin' Raspberry’, and hereinafter also referred to solely as the cultivar ‘Rockin' Raspberry’ or the “new plant”. The new plant was selected from seed collected by the hybridizer from a formal hybridizing program on Aug. 9, 2012 from designated hybridizing plot of a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. , USA, from an unreleased proprietary hybrid identified as H10-26-07 that was allowed to be insect pollinated on an isolation block on Jun. 12, 2012, and the seeds were harvested on Aug. 9, 2012. The new plant was a single seedling selection originally made in the summer of 2013 from the all the seeds that were sown in the fall of 2012 from this specific process. Further selection was completed in the trial fields of a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. in the summer of 2014 and the plant was assigned the breeder code of H12-62-4.

The new plant has been asexually propagated by shoot tip cuttings originally in 2014 in greenhouses at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich., and the subsequent asexually propagated plants found to be stable, true to type and identical to the original selection.

No plants of Monarda ‘Rockin' Raspberry’ have been sold in this country, or anywhere in the world, prior to the filing of this application, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made prior to the filing of this application with the exception of that which was disclosed within one year of the filing of this application and was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventors.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Monarda ‘Rockin' Raspberry’ is unique from its parents and all other bee balm plants known to the inventors. It is a complex hybrid probably containing at least the species M. didyma, M. bartlettii and M. fistulosa. The nearest comparison varieties known to the applicant are: ‘Pete's Purple’ (not patented), ‘Grape Gumball’ U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 14/545,862 and ‘Leading Lady Plum’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,447. The new plant is significantly shorter than ‘Pete's Purple, and the flowers are a deep raspberry purple on the new plant. ‘Rockin' Raspberry’ is slightly taller than ‘Leading Lady Plum’ and has flower petal color more reddish hue than either and also has a more burgundy tinted young foliage than the comparison plant. ‘Leading Lady Plum’ has darker spotting on the inside flower petals, however ‘Rockin' Raspberry’, ‘Grape Gumball’, ‘Pete's Purple’ and ‘Rockin' Raspberry’ do not have spotting on the flower petals. The new plant is also more winter-hardy than ‘Pete's Purple’. ‘Grape Gumball’ is slightly taller and broader in habit with flowers lighter than the new plant, and the flower petals of the new plant are a deeper purple.

The following are traits of Monarda ‘Rockin' Raspberry’ that in combination distinguish it from all other bee balm known to the inventor:

-   -   1. Compact, winter-hardy, tight clumping habit.     -   2. Dark-green leaves with heavy tinting of greyed purple on         young expanding foliage.     -   3. Strong powdery mildew resistant foliage.     -   4. Large-sized, deep raspberry purple-colored flowers for a long         period in summer with excellent flower coverage.     -   5. Second flush of flower heads held above and partially         obscuring initial set.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of ‘Rockin' Raspberry’ and the overall appearance of the two-years-old plant in the full sun trial garden of a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Variation in ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows the new plant in flower in the landscape.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. Monarda ‘Rockin' Raspberry’ has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different growing environments such as temperature, light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are based on two-year old greenhouse-grown plants in gallon containers at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer and water as needed but without plant growth regulators or pinching.

-   Botanical classification: Monarda hybrid; -   Parentage: Female (seed) parent is the proprietary unreleased     Monarda hybrid H10-26-07; male (pollen) parent is unknown; -   Plant habit: Winter-hardy herbaceous perennial, dense, producing     several stems spreading by short rhizomes; about 52.0 cm tall at     flowering and about 45.0 cm wide; flowering begins early-summer in     Michigan and continuing for about 5 to 8 weeks; -   Propagation: Stem cuttings; -   Time to produce finished crop in 3.8 liter pots: About 10 to 12     weeks; moderate rate of growth; -   Root: Fine, fibrous and freely branching; color creamy white to tan     depending on soil type; -   Leaves: Simple, lanceolate, opposite, serrated, puberulent above and     below; lustrous above, matte below; acute apex, rounded to cordate     base; to about 8.4 cm long and 3.8 cm wide, average about 6.5 cm     long and 2.8 cm wide; -   Leaf color: Young leaves nearest RHS 187A on adaxial surface and on     abaxial surface nearest RHS 138A with blushing nearest RHS 187A;     leaf base of still expanding leaves nearest RHS N144D on both     abaxial and adaxial, distal half of adaxial nearest RHS 187A and     abaxial distal half of abaxial nearest RHS 138A with blushing     nearest RHS 187A; mature adaxial leaves nearest RHS 137A and abaxial     leaves between RHS 137B and RHS 137C; -   Foliage fragrance: Pleasant lemony, herbal; -   Veins: Pinnate; sparsely puberulent abaxial and adaxial, slightly     impressed abaxial and raised adaxial; -   Vein color: Mature leaves adaxial midrib nearest RHS N186D     proximally with lateral veins and distal midrib nearest RHS 145C;     mature abaxial midrib and lateral veins nearest RHS 147C; emerging     leaves adaxial midrib and proximal lateral veins nearest RHS 186A,     distal lateral veins nearest RHS 144B; emerging leaves abaxial     midrib and primary veins between RHS 147C; -   Bracts: Between distal leaves and flowers; sessile; margin entire;     sparsely puberulent adaxial, puberulent abaxial; seven in larger     set; 60 to 70 in smaller set; largest deltoid with acute apex and     truncate to attenuate base; smaller set linear with narrowly acute     apex and attenuate base; to 7.0 cm long and 4.0 cm wide; decreasing     to about 3.0 mm long and less than 0.5 mm across; -   Bract color at time of flowering: Larger set abaxial nearest RHS     137A, adaxial nearest RHS 139A; smaller set adaxial some nearest RHS     N186B and others nearest RHS 137B with tinting of nearest RHS N186B,     abaxial nearest RHS 137C with slight tinting of nearest RHS N186B;     adaxial veins nearest RHS N186C in middle and nearest RHS 145C     distally and at base; abaxial veins nearest RHS 147D; -   Petiole: Pubescent, slightly concavo-convex; to about 6. 0 mm long     and 3.0 mm across, average about 3.5 mm long and 2.0 mm across; -   Petiole color: Adaxial nearest RHS N186C with abaxial between RHS     138B and RHS 138C; -   Stems: About 50 per plant; quadrangular, pubescent, about 4.0 mm     across at base and about 45 cm long; branching in upper nodes and     producing flower heads about 2.0 to 5.0 cm above initial flower     heads; -   Stem color: Base nearest RHS 187A; distally nearest RHS 144A with a     tinting of nearest RHS N186C; -   Nodes: About 10 per stem; internode average about 3.5 cm; color     distally same as surrounding stem, color proximally developing more     intense tinting of nearest RHS N186A; -   Flowers: Single, labiate, actinomorphic flowers arranged in terminal     verticillate head about 8.5 cm across and 4.5 cm tall opening from     the center and progressing outwardly and down; each flower     persisting about 5 days in Michigan; numerous, about 280 flowers per     head; flower altitude upright to slightly arcuate in center of     verticil to horizontal toward outer perimeter of verticil;     self-cleaning; -   Flower period: Usually late June into August; about six to seven     weeks; -   Flower fragrance: Lightly sweet; -   Buds one to two days prior to opening: Narrowly oblanceolate;     tubular; abaxial pubescent; rounded apex; arcuate slightly downward     in distal half; about 2.7 cm long, about 3.0 mm tall and about 2.0     mm across in the middle; -   Bud color one to two days prior to opening: Nearest RHS 83A in     distal one-quarter white, lighter than RHS N155D or RHS 155D; -   Petals: Labiate, arcuate downward; basal 2.0 cm fused, split in two     in about the distal 1.4 cm forming upper lip and lower lip; upper     lip conduplicate into hood about 3.4 cm long and 2.5 mm diameter;     lower lip about 3.5 cm long and about 7.0 mm across at widest     portion, comprising three terminally divided lobes including two     side lobes about 1.0 mm long with rounded apex and center lobe to     about 5.0 mm long with emarginate apex indented to about 1.0 mm;     both lips glandular to pubescent abaxial with fine hairs the same     color as petals; both lips glabrous on adaxial surfaces; -   Petal color: Upper lip abaxial distally blend between RHS 83A and     RHS N79B, adaxial distally nearest RHS N79B; lower lip nearest RHS     N79C abaxial and adaxial distal one-third; middle one-third of upper     and lower lips abaxial nearest RHS 77A, adaxial one-third nearest     RHS 77B; basal one-third white, lighter than RHS 155D; -   Androecium: Two;     -   -   Filaments.—Two; glabrous; arcuate; basally fused to lower             lip; about 1.5 cm long by 0.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS             72B.         -   Anther.—One; oblong elliptic, dorsifixed, longitudinal; 2.2             mm by 1.0 mm; supported by two terminally fused filaments;             color nearest RHS N79B along longitudinal dehiscent line             ventrally nearest RHS 72B.         -   Pollen.—Abundant, elliptic to globose, less than 0.1 mm;             color nearest RHS 10A. -   Gynoecium: One per flower;     -   -   Style.—Glabrous; arcuate; about 3.5 cm long by about 0.25 mm             diameter; color between RHS 77A and RHS 83A toward distal             end, lightening to white, lighter than RHS 155D in basal 2.0             cm.         -   Stigma.—Split in two in the distal 2.0 mm, 0.25 mm in             diameter; color nearest RHS 83A.         -   Ovary.—Four seeded; about 0.3 mm across by about 0.2 mm             tall; color nearest RHS 196B with tip tinted nearest RHS             N187B.         -   Seeds.—Up to four per flower; single nutlet; slightly             applanate ellipsoid; about 1.5 mm long, 1.0 mm across and             about 0.8 mm thick; color blend between RHS 199C and RHS             164B. -   Calyx: Five fused sepals, apiculate apex, base fused forming corolla     about 11.0 mm long, fused tube about 2.0 mm diameter, apex about 4.5     wide; with apical 2.0 mm separated; adaxial apex glandular, fused     adaxial tube glabrous, abaxial puberulent; -   Sepal color: Abaxial base nearest RHS 138D, mid-section nearest RHS     139D, apex nearest N187A and veins nearest RHS 147A with tinting of     nearest RHS N187A ; adaxial base nearest RES 145D, mid-section     nearest RHS 148C, with veins of nearest RHS 138A with tinting of     nearest RHS N187A; apex nearest RHS N187A; -   Peduncle: Pubescent, stiff, strong, erect, quadrangular to about 0.4     cm across and average about 35.0 cm long; about 70 per plant;     naturally branched at nodes; -   Peduncle color: Nearest RHS 144A distally with tinting of nearest     RHS 187B in regions exposed to high light intensity, and nearest RHS     187B in basal 2.5 cm; -   Pedicel: Terete; about 1.0 mm long and 0.7 mm diameter; -   Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 148A; -   Hardiness: The new plant grows best with plenty of moisture and     adequate drainage; hardy to at least from USDA zone 4 through 9; -   Disease and pest resistance: Demonstrated strong powdery mildew     resistance. Other resistance beyond that of typical bee balm has not     been noted. 

I claim
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental bee balm plant, Monarda ‘Rockin' Raspberry’, as herein described and illustrated. 